Tribe teams with HUD to build 19 new homes

June 14, 2012

Nineteen new homes are under construction on the Bishop Paiute Reservation thanks to a Department of Housing and Urban Development Title VI Loan Guarantee.
According to the tribe, HUD has backed the tribe for a $3 million loan for the construction of 18 new homes on tribal lands. The last home will be built using Community Development Department reserves.
The HUD loan is a rare opportunity for the tribe.
âIn the past, because of the unique trust status of the reservation land, banks and mortgage lending firms would not loan on these reservation lands,â a press release from the tribe states. âBecause HUD guarantees the loan, the Title VI program opens a whole new door for the tribe to meet its housing needs.â
The new homes will be 1,008 to 1,762 square-foot, two, three, four and five bedroom dwellings. The press release from the tribe said a tribal construction crew and local sub-contractors will be doing the construction.
âThis is going to pump a lot of money into the economy,â Tribal Community Development Director Vicki Moyle said. âLocal contractors and vendors will purchase materials locally plus the wages for our employees.â
Moyle said tribal construction crews will do as much of the work as possible, but some sub-contractors will have to be brought in to complete the homes.
âThe homes are scattered throughout the reservation, located on individual tribal membersâ land assignments and are purchased by the members over a 25-year period,â the press release states. âConstruction has started and the project is anticipated to take approximately 18 months for completion. â
âRight now theyâre doing site clearing, and cutting foundations,â Moyle said.
Moyle added that there is a need for housing on the Bishop Reservation that the tribe is working to address.
Last year the tribe completed construction of the Coyote Mountain Apartments, a 24-unit complex located at the corner of North Pa Ha Lane and West Line Street.
âThere is still a very large waiting list for housing, so the need is still great,â Moyla said.